Hello buddies! Happy New Year! :D

Well, first of all, I'm really sorry about this long hiatus. I should have updated around New Year's Eve but the preparations took me longer than I thought and I couldn't get to do it. And then my fangirl job busied my agenda, you know, Battlefield, Cannonball video (how awesome were those, btw?)…

Second of all, I apologize too because maybe the chapter's length should compensate the hiatus, which is not the case. Not a very long chapter, but I think it's a pretty emotional one. You tell me ;)

Enjoy, my darlings! :)

Disclaimer: if Glee was mine, we'd have bloopers, deleted scenes and unrealesed songs. And Quick. In other words, I don't own anything.

The next day, the interaction between them was just as awkward as the day before. But now, they really didn't have a lot of safe conversation subjects like they did yesterday. So yeah, it was kinda awkward, and they were both a little tense. He could see Rachel felt the same way. But because it was Rachel, and because he knew they could really talk and be honest, he wanted to try talking to her. And because they still had like he didn't know how many days (how long was she actually staying? He had to ask later) working together and it would just make it easier if they clear some things up. But mostly because it was Rachel, (duh) and he really wanted to make things right with her once and for all (hopefully).

So after this inner monologue went inside his head, he just blurted his next words out (well, he always blurted… he never, like, talked normally).

- Umm... I think we need to talk... – he said awkwardly, looking down and rubbing his neck before looking to see her reaction.

– Yes, I believe we do. – He totally knew she was feeling the same - What do you think we need to talk about?

– I don't know, anything... Everything... I just think it would help us out of this awkwardness...

They stayed in silence for a few moments, evading each other's eyes. Finally, Finn took a long breath and started talking.

– I'm sorry, Rachel. – She looked at him in surprise, and tried to say something, but he didn't let her begin – Please, wait, just listen.

She closed her mouth again and looked at him as he tried to find the right words to say.

He had a flashback to the moment he proposed to her, on that same place, "their Jerusalem", like she called the auditorium. That only made it worse, taking him back to their last (and worst, and definitive) breakup.

Wait, "definitive"? That means a part of him was giving up?

Well, look at her, Finn! She's-

No!

Not that funk again.

If she wanted, he would be anything and everything she needed.

Stop underestimating yourself, dude.

– I'm sorry that I was so scared. I was kind of scared of you, you know? – she looked at him, tilting her head a bit, showing her lack of understanding, but she said nothing, and waited for him to explain himself instead, which he really appreciated, considering how hard it was for her to remain silent – Like the first time we sang together. That time, I was the new guy, a rookie, and you were already an expert, and I was scared to sing with you, I was afraid you'd think I wasn't good enough. But then, time passed and we became like an item in Glee club, like you had said, and it felt so awesome. But in senior year, all those feelings came back to me, you know? You were so mature, and ready for the next step... Adult world, I mean. I felt such a man-child, like I wasn't enough for you again. I- I guess that whole army thing was just an excuse to not think about my future. After all, I would have people telling me what to do all the time, there were not a lot of decisions to make. – he looked at the floor for a few seconds and then lifted his gaze and looked deeply into her eyes – I will never say I'm sorry for sending you to New York… because we both know that's where you belong. You're all kinds of awesome, Rachel – she smiled softly, her eyes teary, but she held back the tears so he could continue – I know I made you sad, and scared, but it was the only way. I knew if we talked about it again, I wasn't going to be strong enough to talk you into letting go, not without a train and a suitcase in front of us... I'm sorry for the rush that I put you in, I'm sorry for lying to you that day, make you think we were gonna... You know. But I wanted you to realize (if you didn't yet) that, given the circumstances, it was the only way. I only regret being scared, and not being ready to face the world next to you, but I guess we both needed to take a step aside from each other, to let each other grow. I also wanted you to know I meant all that I said to you that day. Everything. I don't know if you remember any of that, but-

– I do. I remember. – She hadn't intended to cut him in, but she wanted him to know that. That day wasn't just a quick blur to her, it had been like a turning point in her life. Maybe one of the biggest. A tear rolled down her left cheek, but she didn't want to move to wipe it, she was too focused remembering that day.

– I- I'm sorry...

He lifted his hand a bit, automatically intending to wipe her tears, but something stopped him and made him put it down again. She saw his moves and said nothing. She wiped her tears with her own hand and then put it softly on the one he had moved. He looked at their hands and smiled a bit over his sadness. They stayed like that for a few moments, looking to their hands silently. When Rachel saw Finn had stopped talking, she cleared her throat (not to break the silence but to try to keep her voice from breaking) and she started talking.

– For a long time, I hated you for doing that... – she felt his hand stiffen under hers, his expression showing anger – Hey, wait, now it's your turn to let me finish. – She smiled at him and he relaxed a bit – I only felt that way because I loved you so much, you know? Stuff like these only hurt that much when someone is as important as we are to each other.

– When I was going on that train, I couldn't understand a thing of what had happened. You were the only thing I wasn't willing to give up on. I didn't care postponing college for you, or staying in Ohio for you, or anything… for you. But it is only now that I'm getting to understand that it was also you who needed that breakup. Not because you didn't love me, but because you also needed to find your roots before growing your branches. We were young and naive and maybe love came too soon to our lives, and we didn't get to find ourselves entirely before finding each other. But without you, and alone in New York, I only lost myself, before finding myself again. I didn't fit in and nothing (except for a stage) felt like home without you. I tried to find someone else - She felt his hand turn into a tight fist as she mentioned Brody, and she brushed her thumb lightly through his knuckles, trying to relax him. It didn't work, though, and she knew it hurt him talking about Brody, but she needed to bring up that subject. - but I knew he would make me feel in all our relationship not even the half you made me feel in one day. I didn't want to admit that and I kept going on with the charade. But doing that only made me feel even more lost, and my stubbornness made me ignore my friends' warnings. – He released a short sigh through his nose, not in the mood to make it a full laughter, at the mention of her stubbornness... Damn him if he didn't know her cutely annoying stubbornness – It wasn't until that scare after Mr. Schuester's almost-wedding, and then after discovering Brody's... 'job', that my feet touched the ground again and I started shifting to the right direction.

– Please, don't- don't bring up that fucking bastard again 'cause you'll make me go beat the shit out of him again and this time I won't stop until I break every single one of his fucking plastic bones – He wasn't talking loud, but she could feel it was taking all of his strength keeping himself from kicking something. He took some (because one wasn't enough) deep breaths by his nose, trying to calm down, and his voice went lower – I'm sorry, I shouldn't have talked about you ex that way.

She ignored him because she was feeling a big warmth in her chest (despite of his language). He really was her knight in shining armor. Before she could get to talk again, words sank on his mind, his frown puckering...

– Wait, what did you just say?

– Nothing, it's ok, I don't care if you talk about him that way, not that I like him that much either...

– No, no... Before that... Why were you scared after Mr. Schue's wedding?

A/N:

Funny thing: after apologizing for my fangirl agenda and while checking this chapter before my update, I found myself in the middle of a riot, because Louder was released! And it's awesome! And one day early! Thank you Grilled Cheesus!

So, yeah, fangirling's a full time job.

Anyway, I should say I'm sorry because of the cliffhanger, but, as a writer, I happen to love them. But, if I put myself in the readers' shoes… Ok, I'm a little sorry for the cliffhanger guys…

Thanks for reading! I'd love some reviews ;)